For the first time, J.K. Rowling spoke as Robert Galbraith on radio (she already took Galbraith personality lats year at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival). And as if one interview was not enough, Jo spoke with BBC Radio 2 and NPR, which means we have two new interviews with J.K. Rowling! Listen to them or read some extracts.
J.K. Rowling as Robert Galbraith on BBC Radio 2 (November 2nd, 2015):
‘[Career of Evil is] Definitely the darkest of the series so far. It’s the only book I’ve ever written that has literally given me nightmares… But I really enjoyed the crafting of the book.’
‘I’m not going to give you an absolute date because things are busy enough, but I will definitely write more novels as JK Rowling. I have so many ideas. I have written part of a children’s book that I really love so there’s will be another children’s book and I have ideas for other adult books… I sometimes worry I’ll die before I’ve written them all out. That’s my mid-life crisis.’
‘Trying to run more than one pseudonym is a fool’s game, I wish Robert had lasted longer because it was a lot of fun.’
J.K. Rowling as Robert Galbraith on NPR (November 2nd, 2015):
‘Using a pseudonym — it felt like a very private pleasure. You know, there was no expectation. No one knew I was writing The Cuckoo’s Calling, which was the first in the series. I felt a sense of liberation, I suppose. And I wasn’t sure when I was outed unwillingly as the author whether that would continue. But, in fact, quite miraculously, it has. There’s something about writing under a pseudonym. I just feel I’m in a different space when I’m there. … It’s just been a really pleasurable experience for me.’
‘It was very important to maintain the reader’s interest without feeling that they were being led down pointless rabbit holes for my own amusement. The No. 1 rule in this genre is: You have to play fair. … So, you know, as many red herrings as you want, as long as they’re well-written and plausible, the reader will forgive you. What they won’t forgive you is not setting out all the information in front of them, because then you’re cheating. I had an eye to that, as I think every competent detective writer should have.’